Movie Marathon: CalArts Students Create Films in 48 Hours

Last weekend (Nov. 16-17) at CalArts, more than 70 School of Film/Video students participated in the 48 Hour Lockdown. In the annual (and semi-underground) student-run event, filmmakers have 48 hours to make a short film either by themselves or with collaborators. (While the majority of films are created by students from the Character or Experimental Animation programs, the Lockdown is open to all.)

This year’s theme was “duck,” and the filmmaking event yielded two hours of content and nearly 70 pieces, most of which can be viewed online.

Charles Hodgkins, a fourth-year student in the Character Animation Program, served as this year’s coordinator. “There’s no competition, just a celebration of the process,” he writes in an email. “It’s a very high-energy event. Everyone’s helping each other out in order to finish these things in an insanely short amount of time.

“There are first-year students making their very first film (I did that my first year), and experienced animators making professional-looking work. In this way, the show is really diverse and fun to watch. You never know what the next film is going to bring to the table.”

Hodgkins added that he felt honored to help carry on an animation tradition. “The spirit of 48 Hour Lockdown is that of CalArts. Moments like this screening (as well as The Open Show, Gallery Show, etc…) make me really proud to be a part of this community. You can really feel that everyone is in it for the love of the medium, and sometimes just for the fun of it.”

24700 is CalArts' online space dedicated to sharing news and work of the larger CalArts community from around the world. The blog captures stories of the exploration of new forms and expressions in the arts by our students, faculty, staff and alumni.

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